10 Great, Free Apps for Your Tablet

Downloads for iPad, Android and PlayBook that won't cost you a dime

iBooksApple's free iBooks app is an excellent electronic book (e-book) reading application for bookworms. You can preview and buy books right from within the app — and the book covers show up on a virtual bookshelf, ready for reading. When you tap to read the book, you can adjust the font size and type and page color before "flipping" through the pages with your fingertip. Not sure what a word means? Double-tap it and select "Dictionary" for an instant definition. If you love your Kobo or Kindle, you can also download free apps to read on your tablet, too.

The Weather Channel
As strangely addictive as the TV network it's based on, The Weather Channel app for iPad,Android and BlackBerry PlayBook delivers real-time weather updates, large and customizable maps, and high-quality videos that cover local, regional and national forecasts. Be notified of breaking news, such as severe storm watches and alerts, in-motion radar (with past and future views) and Twitter feeds from popular on-air personalities from The Weather Channel. BlackBerry PlayBook users should opt for the free WeatherEye HD app.

Angry Birds
Tablets make for extraordinary gaming solutions, and it won't take long to find something you like — be it word games, fantasy role-playing adventures or racing simulations, to name a few genres. Chillingo's megapopular Angry Birds, for example, is an easy-to-pick-up-but-impossible-to-put-down game for Android and iPad users. (Note: Only the Android version is free.) The endearing physics-based strategy game challenges you to use a giant slingshot to launch birds toward reinforced forts built by scheming green pigs. iPad owners in search of free gaming goodies should download Clickgamer Solitaire HD, while BlackBerry PlayBook fans can play the classic puzzler Tetris.